Crank-case-oil heater



6. M. 'orZel/v.

A /afvm.

Filed May 6.

CRANK CASE OIL'HEATER C. M. CORLEW ET AL Jan. 24, 1928.

J' l @Heiney Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,657,151 PATENT' oFFics.

CLARENCE M. CORLEW AND GEORGE A. BLOEM, OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

CRANX-CASE-OIL HEATER.

application mea may e, 192s. seni-,t1 No. 107,205.

This invention relates to an electric heater for heating the crank case oil of internal combustion engines, being especially designed for use in'connection with the en- K gines of motor vehicles, and seeks, among other objects, to provide means for reducing the viscosity of the crank case oil of an engine so that the engine may not only be more easily started but, also, so that faulty lubrication of the engine may be avoided.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to provide a heater immersed in the crank case oil adjacent the oil strainer of the force feed oiling' system of the engine so that the oil in the immediate vicinity of said strainer may be heated to freely flow through the strainer and through the oiling system to the engine bearings.

And the'invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a heater which will be of simple construction, which will function efficiently and without trouble, `and which may be readily installed upon the various makes of internal ycombustion engines as now in use.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned it the foregoing will appear during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the improved heater installed upon the crank case of an'internal combustion engine.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direct-ion indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustratlng a slight modification of the invention. y

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, we have shown a portion of the crank case of an internal combustion engine at 10. Closing the drain outlet of the crank case is a removable plug 11 upon the inner end of which is mounted an oil strainer 12, and leading from the plug is a pipe 13`which forms a part of the l'orce feed oiling system of the engine, a suitable pump, not shown, being connected with said pipe for forcing the oil from the crank case to the engine bearings. As is well known, the oil` in the crank case becomes quite viscous in cold Weather, with the result that the engine is rendered hard to start while, also, at the time of starting of the engine, the oil will not freely flow through the strainer, so that, for .a considerable interval, the engine bearings are insufficiently lubricated. The pres; ent invention, therefore, seeks to overcome these difficulties.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we employ an oblong metal casing 14 which, in the present instance, is shown as being rectangular in cross section, and closing the casing at one end is an end wall 15. At its opposite end, the casing is formed with a flange 16, to which is soldered or otherwise rigidly fixed an -overhangin end plate .17, and extending through sai end plate axially of the casing is a nipple 18 soldered or otherwise ri idly fixed at its inner end to the plate. (/govering the entire inner surface of the casing is a lining 19 which may be of asbestos or other refractory insulating material, and more or less snugly venclosed by the lining is the fiat elongated core 2 0 of the heating unit employed. The core 20 is provided at its ends with upstand- 1ng lugs 21 and is formed of suitable refractory insulating material such as porcelain or, if preferred, the core may be formed of plaster of Paris. Wound around the core is a resistance element 22, one end 23 of which is passed through a suitable opening in the outer end of the core while the free end portion 24 of said element is first passed through a suitable opening inthe lug 21 at the inner end of the core and then through a suitable opening in the lug 21 at the outer end of the core, to extend in spaced relation to the turns of said' element and provide a return conductor therefor, the end 25 of said element terminating at the outer end of the core adjacentthe end 23. If desired, the nipple 18 may be provided with a refractory insulating lining 26 similar to the lining 19 of the casing, and extending snugly through the lining 26 is a conductor 27, the wires 28 of which are connected to the ends 23 and 25 of the resistance element.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, we have shown the heater mounted on one side wall of the crank case 10. However, as will be understood, the heater may be mounted upon an end wall of the crank case or upon the bottom thereof, depending upon the location of the oil strainer of the engine to which the device is applied, it being the intention that the heater shall be mounted u on the crank case in such position that the eater will be located near the strainer and project in close proximity thereto. In the instance illustrated, one side wall of the crank case 10 is 4formed with an opening to receive the nipple 18 v`and said ni ple is inserted through said opening from t e inner side of the crank case so that the end plate 17 of the casing thus confronts the inner face of said side wall.

vInterposed between said end plate and lthe side wall to snugly surround the nipple is a suitable gasket 29, and overlyin the outer face of the side wall to also snugl surround the nipple is asimilar gasket3 0. Overlying the asket 30`is a clamping plate 31 -and exten ing through the plates 17 and 31 -heater is located close to the bottom of the crank case, Vat leasta portion of the heater will, under ordinary conditions be immersed in the crank case oil standing'within the crank case. f

The'wires 28 are connected with a battery or other source of electrical energy and a suitable switch -is interposed in the circuit so that by closing said switch, the resistance element 22 may be heated. Accordingly, the heater will then function to heat the oil standing in the crank case in the immediate vicinity'of` the strainer 12 so that, when tbe .engine is started, such portion of the oil will be rendered suiiiciently fluent to freely iiow throu h the strainer to the engine bearings. The dgevice will thus serve to prevent premature'wear on the engine and since the casing Vformed with an elbow 37 in order that the device may be mounted upon the ,adjacent end wall of the crank case to extend adjacent the strainer 34.' Otherwise, this modifiedA structure is identical .with the preferred form of the invention and further -description is accordin ly believed unnecessary.

Having thus escribed the invention, what we claim is: Y

An englne crank case 011 heater lncluding a casing, an end plate closing the casing and# i formed for attachment to a crank case, ,a

Inipple carried by said end plate, a core n sulatingly mounted vwithin the casing and provided at its ends with laterally extending lugs', the core and one of said lugs having ad] acentvopenings formed therein, a'resista-ncc' element wrapped about the core andl having one end portion thereof extending between and supported by said lugs in stretched condition and in spaced relation to the turns of said element to provide a return connection for said element, each end of the element being engaged in openings, and circuit wires extending into theI casingl through said nipple and connected tot e element.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signu-` tures.'

GEO. A. BLOHM.

ends of said 

